System and method for determining hemodynamic parameters of a patient

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system that determines hemodynamic parameters of a patient. The system may include a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe including an ultrasound transducer comprising a matrix array of piezoelectric elements, the transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe configured to obtain a plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart from a single position. The system may include one or more processors, operatively connected to the TEE probe. The one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to control the TEE probe by electronically steering an ultrasound beam provided by the ultrasound transducer to obtain the plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart; receive the plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart provided by the TEE probe; and determine one or more physiological parameters of the patient's heart based on the received plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system including a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe and configured for continuous monitoring of hemodynamic parameters () of a patient without repositioning the TEE probe, the system comprising:
 an ultrasound transducer located in the probe and comprising a matrix array of piezoelectric elements, the ultrasound transducer configured to obtain a plurality of views, including a first view and a second view, of the patient's heart from a single position; and 
 one or more processors, operatively connected to the TEE probe, the one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
 control the TEE probe to switch between the first view and the second view to interleave the acquisition of frames of the first view with frames of the second view in a manner that updates a first frame rate of the first view, the first frame rate being different from a second frame rate of the second view; 
 determine a new order for the interleaved acquisition of the frames of the first view and the frames of the second view, wherein the new order is determined using a scheduling algorithm and responsive, at least in part, to the updated first frame rate; and 
 determine, in real-time, a first hemodynamic parameter of the patient's heart using data obtained by the ultrasound transducer in the first view and a second hemodynamic parameter of the patient's heart using data obtained by the ultrasound transducer in the second view, wherein the first frame rate is selected based, at least in part, on the first hemodynamic parameter and the second frame rate is selected based, at least in part, on the second hemodynamic parameter. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of at least one of the first and second physiological parameters of the patient's heart comprises analyzing the respective one of the first and second of views of the patient's heart to extract a respective hemodynamic parameter selected from cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), and superior vena cava (SVC) diameter variations. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
 effectuate presentation of images corresponding to the plurality of views of the patient's heart on a display; and/or 
 effectuate presentation of the determined physiological parameters on the display. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to facilitate control, by a user, of an effective duty cycle of time spent in each of the plurality of views of the patient's heart. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide real-time, animated image data of each of the plurality of views of the patient's heart. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of views of the patient's heart comprise a Midesophageal view and a superior vena cava view. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first frame rate and the second frame rate are determined based, at least in part, on a weighted round robin scheduling algorithm or a weighted fair queuing scheduling algorithm. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound transducer is configured to achieve the continuous monitoring by obtaining the plurality of views in a single imaging session, the single imaging session beginning when the TEE probe is placed in an esophagus of the patient and the single imaging session ending when the TEE probe is removed from the patient's esophagus, the TEE probe remaining stationary during the single imaging session. 
     
     
       9. A method for continuous monitoring of hemodynamic parameters of a patient, the method comprising:
 providing a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe including an ultrasound transducer comprising a matrix array of piezoelectric elements and configured to acquire a plurality of views of the patient's heart, including a first view and a second view, through electronic beam steering without repositioning the TEE probe; 
 controlling the TEE probe, by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the TEE probe, to switch between the first view and the second view thereby interleaving the acquisition of frames of the first view with frames of the second view in a manner that updates a first frame rate of the first view, the first frame rate being different from a second frame rate of the second view; 
 determining, by the one or more processors, a new order for the interleaved acquisition of the frames of the first view and the frames of the second view, wherein the new order is determined using a scheduling algorithm and responsive, at least in part, to the updated first frame rate; and 
 determining in real-time, by the one or more processors, a first hemodynamic parameter using data acquired by the TEE probe in the first view and a second hemodynamic parameter using data acquired by the TEE probe in the second view, wherein the first frame rate is selected based, at least in part, on the first hemodynamic parameter and the second frame rate is selected based, at least in part, on the second hemodynamic parameter. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first hemodynamic parameter and the second hemodynamic parameter is selected from cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), and superior vena cava (SVC) diameter variations. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining a fluid status of the patient based on the SVC diameter variations. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 effectuating, by the one or more processors, presentation of images corresponding to the plurality of views of the patient's heart on a display; and/or effectuating, by the one or more processors, presentation of the determined physiological parameters on the display. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the system further comprises a user interface, and wherein the method further comprises facilitating, by the user interface, control, by a user, of an effective duty cycle of time spent in each of the plurality of views of the patient's heart. 
     
     
       14. A system for continuous monitoring of hemodynamic parameters of a patient, the system comprising:
 means for obtaining a plurality of views, including a first view and a second view, of the patient's heart from a single position; 
 means for controlling the means for obtaining the plurality of views of the patient's heart, the means for controlling including means for switching between the first view and the second view to interleave the acquisition of frames of the first view with frames of the second view in a manner that updates a first frame rate of the first view, the first frame rate being different from a second frame rate of the second view, wherein a new order is determined for the interleaved acquisition of the frames of the first view and the frames of the second view using a scheduling algorithm and responsive, at least in part, to the updated first frame rate; and 
 means for determining in real-time a first hemodynamic parameter of the patient's heart using data obtained by the means for obtaining the plurality of views, the data being obtained in the first view, and determining a second hemodynamic parameter of the patient's heart using data obtained by the means for obtaining the plurality of views, the data being obtained in the second view, wherein the first frame rate is selected based, at least in part, on the first hemodynamic parameter and the second frame rate is based, at least in part, on the second hemodynamic parameter. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the means for determining the first and second physiological parameters of the patient's heart comprises means for analyzing the first and second views of the patient's heart to extract hemodynamic parameters including one or more of cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), or superior vena cava (SVC) diameter variations. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 means for effectuating presentation of images corresponding to the plurality of views of the patient's heart on a display; and/or 
 means for effectuating presentation of the determined physiological parameters on the display. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14  further comprising means for facilitating control, by a user, of an effective duty cycle of time spent in each of the plurality of views of the patient's heart.